Rotisserie



De.z9, 1931. O LGUFFEY y 1,838,545

ROTISSERIE Filed Aug. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Dec. 29,1931Y v or-.rvnnm-feurrnrf.oraarmxrrm@Bonera i A y Y ".Rorrssmun i i A p nirplicatiniednagust 4, 193e. iserir'Nq. 473,041'. y y y i y f E;

Grenericallythis invention 'relates to-.a cookingl apparatus, but it -is vmore especially directed tothe rotisserie type, wherein' the-food articleorfarticles are l rotatively subjected 'to theeiifect` ofz heat `produ'cedlby a bed of hot coals, a, gas burner, device/,an electric heating medium,` or the? like. `One oftheprincipal-objects of this inventionl is the provision' ofi anv apparatus ofv this characterrotatable-on a vertical airis and provided 4with a plurality of spits l to Vcarry the respective'articles ltobe -cooked,=each of said spits iadapted "for relativeltravel about said-vertical airis. p

Another important L object e of :this Viunivention is the provision-of aspider-likesupporting fran-1e -rotatablyv mounted on V-aV vert-ical axis `and va plurality of --spits 'f circumferentially mounted thereolrin end to end relation and each rotatable oni a horizontal axis, means 'orrevlvin'g said supporting' frame, `and 6additional `means associated` therewith and engageable With the alternatelymeeting ends ofreach-of the/respective pairs o'li'fs'pits torot'ate the-respective spits offeach pair in i opposite-directions`fduring the rotational travel ofjsaid supportinggframe Awith respect to andinproximitywith a sourceA of'heat.

Another; important obj ect' of" this invention `isitheprovisionloan apparatus ofthe character described f comprising -a plurality of superimposed detachable cooking funits rotatable; ena "vertical axis, each of Ysaid units comprising A-a plurality fof rotatable ,spits mounted circumferentially and infendlto end relation and rotatable on a longitudinal axis, each of said spits alternatelyoperablein one directionvand the remaining'spits similarly operable f' in f thevother direction, during rotational travel; oif lsaid supporting -frame `with respectto-atixed source-oftheatv Another -bject of this invention lis fthe provision-oic a colingrapparatus comprisin g i hexagonal spi der-likejsupporting iframe units, rotatable aboutA a `common vertical axis', a sectional correspondingly shaped drip pan carriedby eachof said framesthree pairs of longitudinally vrotatable spit mechanisms mounted in, end to-end relation circumferentially of each "rame, "the respective fspits of .eachepairbeing rotatable in opposite directions, 1and fnieans 1ffor superimposingadditional `cooking f unitsv or removing# certain of the"unitsj tof increase or decreaseftlie cooking H capacity-'dtthefapparatusfas desired.- 35

With these and other .objects in view,f1vvhieh -Willbecome' apparent as 'the description1pro- Coeds; 'tl-1e invention resid-es" ini the fconstruction,fcombination and arrangement oflparts', n 4hereinafter,nt-i'oreffully describedand claimed, 60

fand? illustrated inV the acco'mpanying draw# ingsfinvvhihilike characters of referenceE indicaterlli'ke VA'parts *throughout lthe f`several igures,fof whilr:' V l M I Fig. lisf1 al sidefelevationalvievv, partly-y in GS section`- of 1' my improved @multiple 'nutritional cooliing apparatus.

FThe -'types -o'f cooking apparatus wherein thez articles-are` rotationally or otherwise positioned. in proximity-to Jallsouroe fo' heat have provenl unsatisfactory in1many;respets,-such A as Y Vdripping `from `onev Hartiele 5to a "diferent "f5 Vartifc'zle ibeing simultaneously eoo'lr'ed, =or" construction d'thefmachine"renderingitiimf practical to1 simultaneously cool; fa lmujltilplieity o'f-similiar"or 'differente articles 'wvithoutlan extensive heating medium orl mediums and further renderingi it *impossible to increase the 'original capacit-y1' o'f'lthe A`apparatus byftheadditiony of Yattaehrablef coking rlrnits, an'dit'was to overcomethe deficiencies oli-such devices, and to provideanfapparatus"comprisingj'a supportingframe rotatable labout a vertical faXisf carrying a plurality fof l' longitudinal .fspits A'mounted Ain l"the fsame :longi- "tudinal plane andin endfto `end frelation cirl fcunferentially 'of lsai'df'framqfa drip pan #0 means carried by Asaidiframe, 4the flatter fadaptedf to havefadditionalfr-ame"units superfimposedf thereon fas "occasion commands, and

:relativeA rotation offth'e various food articles W5 V'vvithi'respect to each-other andfsimultaneous- '-endwisel direction and in i longitudinal :rota- 1100 tion simultaneously and successively with respect to said fixed heat source, that I designed the apparatus forming the subject matter of this invention.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention, there is shown a cooking apparat-us A comprisinof spit carrying units B and C, driving motorQD and source of heat E which will now be described in detail.

The motor D is suitably mounted on and secured to a supporting base 1 -which may be further secured to a suitable supporting medium as desired. A vertical shaft 2 is secured and rigidly anchored in the base or bed plate 1 by anchor pin 3, and surroundingsaid shaft and supported by base 1 is ball bearing assembly 4. A hollow shaft 5 is mounted on shaft 2 with its lower end suitably connected to ball bearing 4 mounted on and suitably keyed or otherwise secured to shaft 5, and intermediate its length is a beveled gear 6 adapted to mesh with pinion 7 of motor D. A disc plate 8 is mounted on the upper end of shaft 5 and firmly secured thereto by set screw 9 or other suitable fastening means. A spider frame a comprising a hub portion 10 centrally bored to receive shaft 2 is adapted to rest on disc plate 8 secured thereto by bolts 11 or other suitable fastening elements, and hub 10 is formed with radiating arms 12, in the present instance, six in number, and suitably secured to each arm adjacent its free extremity by bolts 13 is an outwardly and upwardly extending supporting standard 14 to the upper end of which is suitably secured by bolts or other fastening elements, a supporting bracket 15, comprising a central portion 16 extending at rightangles with respect to its supporting arm 12 and terminating at its opposite ends in sections 17 and 18 projecting therefrom at an angle. Suitably journaled in Y each of the portions 16 is a diagonally positioned shaft 19 on t-he upper end of which is suitably secured beveled gear 2O adapt-ed to mesh with beveled gears 21 mounted on the respective inner ends of spits 22 and 23, respectively, journaled in the respective sections 17 and 18 and by means of which the spits are rotated as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The auxiliary spit elements 24 are positioned on opposite sides of said spits 22' and 23 and are suitably secured in anchor plate 25 mounted on the respective spits 22 and 23 and suitably secured to bearing 26 journaled in the respective sections 17 and 18. The said anchor plate 25 likewise constitutes a Stop for the food articles placed on said spits and the auxiliary members 24 are adapted to maintain the food articles on same during the operation of the device as will be Well understood.

Suitably secured to said spider frame on opposite sides of each alternate arm 12 is an yupright standard 27, bifurcated at its upper end as at 28 and having mounted thereon cap plate 29 to which is suitably hinged as at 30 a carrier arm 31 formed at its rear extremity with an L-shaped extension 32 adapted to be held in a horizontal position by movable pin 33, and at its outer end with bearing 34 having a complemental hinged lock member 35 normally secured by spring catch 36. The said arm is adapted to support and constitute a bearing for the free end of spits 22 and 23 when the foodarticles have been positioned thereon, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The lower end of each of the diagonal shafts 19 is adapted to be journaled in bearing support 37, supported by and suitably secured to hub portion 10 and mounted on said shaft adjacent thereto is gear wheel 38 adapted to mesh with a stationary beveled gear 39 mounted on shaft 2 and suitably secured thereto by said set screw 40.

In order to catch the natural drippings from the food articles and the basting fluids where same are employed during the course of cooking the food articles, a circumferential drip pan F is adapted to be removably supported by rim 12 which interconnects the free ends of arms 12. While I have shown this pan as formed in two sections, if desired it may with equal facility be divided into as many sections as there are spits.

Detachably connected to each of the brackets 16 is an upright bracket 41 on which is adapted to be mounted unit C which comprises the upper or second deck of the apparatus, and since it is identical to unit B, a detailed description thereof would seem to be unnecessary.

Positioned adjacent one edge of the units B and C in close proximity thereto is a suitable heatingmedium E, in the present instance, semi-circular in configuration so as to embrace substantially half of the circumference of each of said units and which may be of any desired form, such as a bed of hot coals, a gas` burner device, an electric heater or the like, and which according to the exigencies of the particular requirements may be a single heating unit or a separate heating unit for each of the cooking units B and C as desired.

lVhile the operation would seem t0 be clear from the above description, it might be well to further state that when the meat or other food articles desired to be treated are placed on the spits 22 and 23 and member 35 locked, power will be transmitted from motor D through gears 7, 6, shaft 5 to spider frame a effecting rotation of the latter with respect to source of heat Gr, and gear wheel 38 meshing with stationary gear 39 will effect rotation of the diagonal shafts and gear wheels carried thereby meshing with gears 21 will effect rotation of spits 22 in one direction and spits 23 inthe opposite direction simulta- Y portion and arrangement of parts may be re-V neously with their endwise travel with respect to the source of heat E, thereby subjecting eachof the respective food articles vto a thorough heat treatment as will be clear without.

whereby during such rotational travel a plurality of different articles will be simultaneously subjected to the heat treatment, and comprising a plurality of such article carrying units simultaneously operable with respect to said fixed heat source, the capacity of said apparatus being variableby the addition and removal of the food carrying units as desired; one manufacturable at a reasonable cost, simple in construction and operation, yet eflicient for the vpurposes intended. It will thus'be seen that I have' provided a versatile cooking device, whereby a Vreduction in operating cost and a great saving incident to costly equipment and expensive installation to vary its capacity is effected, at the same time enhancing the treating application of the device. Y A

Although in practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my invention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, prosorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

1. An apparatus of the character specified comprising a plurality of frame units having a common axis, a plurality of food carrying elements, each rotatable on its respective axis, means for simultaneously rotating said frame units in one direction and said elements in different directions, whereby the food article carried by each of the respective elements is adapted to travel in endwise and revolving directions simultaneouslyV and successively with respect to a source of heat.

2. An apparatus ofthe character specified,

including a plurality of rotatable frame units, means for detachably connecting the units, a plurality of food carrying rotatable elements circumferentially mounted in end to end relation on each of said units, means for rotating said units about a common axis and additional means associated .therewith for rotating the respective elements about the free end of each spit, means for revolving said frame` and additional means for revolvtheirrespective axis, whereby each ofztheare- 4 Spectlve ,elements will lthe i caused :toitravl .simultaneously 1nv endwlse andarevolvmg; dii' 1 rection :successivelywithirespeet totaV source ofvheat.V n

3. :Adevice :ofthe character described comprising a ,rotatable iframe, 1.a Vplurality Y of rotatable food carrying elementscarriediby theframemeans for rotating said frame including a rotatable shaft and means for rotating the respective elements in dierent directions withV respect to said frame, said means including fixed and rotatable gear means, whereby each of the respective food carrying elements will be simultaneously rotatedV and advanced with respectto a source of heat. Y

4. A device of the character speciiied comprising a frame, a plurality of rotatable food carrying elements carried by the frame, means for rotating said frame comprising a hollow shaft, a gear mechanism associated with said shaft and means for rotating the respective elements in different directions with respect to the frame, said means including a station- Vary shaft, a iixed gear means mounted thereon, and rotatable gear fmeans `engageable therewith, whereby each of the respectivesy food carrying elements is simultaneously rotated and advanced with respect to a source of heat. n

5. An apparatus of the character specified comprising a rotatable frame, a circumferentially 'disposed drip pan detachably carried thereby, a plurality of rotatable food carrying elements mounted circumferentially of the frame, means for rotating said frame, and means for rotating the respective elements in different directions with respect to the frame, whereby each of the respective food carrying elements will be simultaneously rotated and advanced with respect toa source of heat.

A 6. An apparatus of the character specified comprising a frame, a plurality of pairs of food carrying elements mounted in Vend to end relation circumferentially of the frame, means coacting with each'pair for rotating the respective elements in opposite directions, said means-including a fixed gear and rotatable gearY elements coacting therewith, and means for rotating the frame comprising a hollow shaft 'for operative connection with gear means connected to a source of power, whereby each of the respective foodcarrying elements will be simultaneously rotated in different directions with respect to a source of heat. Y y

7. An apparatus of the character specified comprising a rotatable frame, a plurality of food carrying spits mounted circumferentially of the frame, a supporting arm constituting a bearing detachably connected with also,

ing Certain of the spits in one direction and the remaining spits in an opposite direction, whereby each of the respective food carrying spits is adapted to travel in endWise and 5 revolving directions simultaneously and successively With respect to a source of heat.

This specification signed this 30th day of June,.A. D. 1930.

OLIVER J. GUF F EY. 

